This invention is concerned with tire chains for tires of dual wheels, more particularly, cable-type tire chains for dual wheels of trucks.
Cable-type tire chains, having a pair of elongated side members (one or both of which may comprise a cable) and a plurality of cross members (each including a cable supporting a series of traction sleeves), are well known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,574 granted Oct. 15, 1991 and assigned to Burns Bros. Inc., the assignee of the present invention, discloses and claims significantly improved cable-type tire chains in which the cross members form a uniform zig-zag pattern. When such tire chains are installed on the tires of dual wheels, with the cross members extending continuously across the treads of the tires of both wheels, substantial portions of the cross members are located over the space between the tires, causing problems that are not present when such tire chains are installed on tires of single wheels. For example, increased cross member throw-out due to the unsupported length of the cross members, may cause cross members to strike vehicle parts, damaging the vehicle as well as the cross members. Increased throw-out causes increased cross member wear when the cross members strike the ground as the wheels rotate. Furthermore, the unrestrained center portions of cross members tend to cause non-uniformity of the cross member pattern, reducing traction, particularly during locked-wheel braking.